Diminutive Dads of the Animal Kingdom

Fathers in many species play a minor role—and they don't always survive the act of mating

By

Daphne Fairbairn

June 14, 2013 7:24 p.m. ET

This weekend, children across the country will honor their dads with the usual assortment of cards, tools and ties, thus paying tribute to the influential role that fathers play in our lives. But human dads are unusual in their devotion to family, especially when compared with the rest of the animal kingdom. Though most bird fathers help care for their offspring, absentee dads are the rule in 90% of mammal species. Fatherly care is even less common in other animal groups.